Variable-speed transmission-gearing.



H. B. ROSS.

VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION GEARI APPLIUATION FILED MAY 12,1911.

1,028,078, K Patented May 28, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

H. B. ROSS. I VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION GEARING APPL'IOATION FILED MAY12, 1911.

1,028,078. Patented-May 28, 1912.

3 SHBETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

l/VI/E/I/TOR mam-W 'H B. ROSS.-

' VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION GEARING.

' ABPLIOATION FILED MAY 12, 1911.

Patented May-28, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

' the eccentric member of the next speed pnrrnp 'sra'rns PATENT enrich.

HARRYBEAUREGARD ROSS, or DENVER, COLoRADO, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO H.

BYRD NOR'IHROP, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

VARIABLE-SPEED TRANSMISSION-GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28,1912.

Application filed May 12, 1911, Serial Ho, 626,823.

To all whom it may concern:

"ing at Denver, in the county of Denver andf State of Colorado, .haveinvented a newt and Improved Var1ableSpeed Transmission- Gearing,of'which the following is a specification.

many to mechanism for transmitting mo-.

tion, especially designed and intended for:

use on auto vehicles, specifically has refer-E ence to that .type oftransmlsslon'mechanlsm E April 11', 1911.

in which is included a shiftable drivengear,

" disclosed in my Patent-'No. 989,427, dated a directly acting levermechanism for set-I ting the saidshiftable gear and a combinastion 'ofconcentric and eccentric driving gears with which the shiftable gear iscooperatively connected by a proper manipu lat-ion of the levermechanism.

In my said patented transmission gear-- ing, the shiftable gear, duringthe operation of shifting from one speed to'ano'therispeed manuallyadjusted or set-for engaging gear and-is again manually shifted for en-Qgaging with the concentric or driving mem-' ber of the said next speedgearing when said eccentric member has brought the said shiftable. gearin the predeterminedposition for being shifted to engage theconcentric'gear member before mentioned.

My present invention, in its generic nature, differentiates, so far asthe changeable speed gearing. and the shiftable gear devices areconcerned, in the means for setting the] shiftable gear, which means, inthe present case, embodies a balanced force'or pressure against theopposite sides of the shiftable gear, a lever controlled means forincreasing the said force on either side of the said 7 shiftable gear,other means for restraining rthe action of the said surplus or augmentedto hold the said gear to its shifted position.

force until a predetermined time, and a "furthermeans for releasingthesaid restraining means to permit the said surplus force to move theshiftable gear to the de sired change of speed position and forrestoring the balance of the said for'ceon opfpos'ite'sides of theshiftable gear whereby My present invention also comprehends speedgearing, the mounting of the shift :able gearand themeans for directlycou- .pling the main or, driven shaft with the drivencr vehiclepropelling shaft, and the V countershaft with the driven or propellingMy present invention, which relates gen- 1 shaft.- T V In its moresubordinate features my present; invention comprises certain details ofconstruction, and peculiar arrangement of parts, all of which will behereinafter fully explained, specifically pointed out in the appendedclaims, and illustrated inthe accompanyingldrawings, in which Figure 1',is 'a plan view of my present invention, the parts being} shown as setto the first or low speedposition. Fig. 2, is a similar view, the partsbeing shown'at the high speedfor direct driving position in dottedlines, and in its out of mesh position in-full lines. Fig. 3, is alongitudinal section on lines 3-8 on Fig. 1, taken in the direction ofthe arrow. Fig. 4:, is a cross I section on lines 4-4 on Fig. 3, in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 5, is a cross section on the line*55on-Fig; L, in, the direction of the arrow. Figs; Sand 7, arediagrammatic sections showing the operation of the gear shiftingmechanism. Figs. 8 and 9,

are detail sections on the lines 88 and 99' on Figs. 1 and 2,respectively.

My present invention embodies, as it We're,; a four speed, constant meshsliding gear transmission mechanism, since the sliding gear is always inmesh with the changeable gearing under a direct or indirect coupling ofthe driven or vehicle propelling shaft and thedriving or main shaft.

Referringnow to the drawings, N clesighates. the engine ordriving-shaft, one end of which carries a sliding clutch O, for engagingwitha'clutch member U on a pinlon E that meshes with the gear F, fixedlymounted on the propelling shaft or axle R, suita'bly mounted on theframing 10, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

2O designates a clutch shifting lever that carries a crank arm 21 thatengages and shifts the clutch O, and which has a second and slot-ted arm22 for engaging a sliding clutch P on the counter shaft M, parallel withthe main or driving shaft N and-which carries a lo0se .p inion H that isalways n ,mesh with a gear G keyed upon the shaft R and having a slidingmovementthereon as will be presently more fully explained.

"The clutch lever .20 is so arranged that under one movement-it throwsthe clutch member into the clutch memberll and I releases the clutchmember P from the the gears and G clutch member V, and under a reversemovement it shifts theclutchminberl? to close with clutch member V andsimultaneously disengages the clutch members 0 and D, it beingunderstood that when the clutch ,mmbers O and U are joined the parts arein position for transmitting a high speed direct motion to the shaft B,through the gears .13] and F and when the clutch members'IP and V-arejoined the motion is indirect "and through the changeable gearing theshifting gear, the countershaft M and 'mentlof which and the eccentricand concentric gears and disks is identical to the like parts disclosedin my former patent referred to, and will nottherefore be spccifi callydescribed further than to note that BB---B designate the first, secondandthird speed concentric gears, BB the eccentric gears that cooperatewith the said gears, B, B B 1 I -A, A, A designate the concentriccollars or disks and A, A", theeccentric collars or disks that coactwith the gears BB and L40' B", and the master or third speed gear B. Ddesignates the shifting gear and it is held to turn with and islaterally slidable gradually increased on the shaft M andthe manner inwhich it coiiperates' with the speed changing gears is best explained asfollows: When clutch members P and V are engaged and power istransmitted to the shaft N, assuming now the parts are positioned as isshown in Fig.- 1, the power istransmitted from the shaft N, by the gearsBB B to the shaft M through the gear D,'the said shaft M now driving theshaft B through the gears Gr and H; While the gears E and F run idle.Gear D changes the speed by sliding from the lowspeed gear B onto theeccentric gear B with which it is held in mesh for a half revolutionduring which time'the speed is until gear D is slid (by he meanspresently described) onto the gear B which occurs when the greatestradius point of the eccentric Bf comes into alinement with the'gear"rimof theconcutric gear 'B ,.thus bringing theparts to the second speedadjustmentfit being obvious that when gear D goes through the nexteccentric ,gearB and slides into ear B, the

speed is increased-up to the thir speed, see

In my present-invention, an automatically operating means is providedfor bodily shift ing frame X-on which .the shaft M ismounted, and itshould be here stated that when the shaft M with its attached parts isshifted to and from' the shaft N, the gears of the propelling shaft oraxle R.

'H andG, also-slide in' the longitudinal plane I The automaticallyoperating means, mentio'ned includes an arm. T that is, rockably mountedon the shaft Mend is coupled to the hub D on one side of the gear D andthe said. arm has a longitudinal slot t in which y is adjustablymountedacross pin-or finger a for extendingover and engagin sitionchanging disks that form tlie'mates l i As before stated, in my presentinvention the gear is shifted at predetermined times by a stored upforce which, when released, automatically slides the gear from one ofthe eccentric speed changing gear into the next concentric speedincreasing gear;

Referring now more particularly toili igs. 3 to 7, J designates alongitudinally shift ablerod that is suitably mounted in thinain framingor gear casing, and in a plane parallel with the shafts'M and N, one endof which joins with a lever J for manually imparting the desiredlongitudinal move' ment to the rod, which movement, itshould beunderstood, does not disturb thefposition of the gear D, its functionbeingto store up an-excess force or"'power at either side" ofthe gear D,which is utilized when released for shifting the gear D. j v Ldesignates a lever mounted on the rod tion by -the studs w-w thatpassthrough that passthrough a longitudinal-slotz in-,-

J and held toslide thereon in'either,

collars w; at e'achside of the; lever 'fi andy the rod J. The forked end1 of the lever L'i straddles an annular groove din thevhiib of gear D,such arrangement providing for? as the lever arm L .is likewise moved;;on -the .moving the gear Dand the arm T laterally.-

- S designates a yoke mounted ii on the-rod.

Jand held to straddle the hinge end of-thelever L, its ends ss beingfixedly connected to the rod J and provided with collars S'-S betweenwhich and the collars V, W and upon the rod J 'are'mo'unted coiledsprings K-K.

of which slides upona cross rod Z Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, a will benoticed that the studs W- in the collars W operate 1n the longitudinalslots Z in the rod J, the said operation being best explained as follows:TSlots Z are of such length asto allow one collar W spring compressed,as shown in Fig. 6, ithen the collar W on the right sideof the mem berL."wi1l remain in the position in which it isshown in Fig. 7, since theslot Z thereforterminates thereat for the stud W on otally mounted onthe arm Y, its hook end being positioned to engage with any one of thesockets Q, Q. ,Q, a spring'g serving to speed position and the averforce it down'against therod 2 The yoke membef -S has cam portions forengagin'gwith thefheel end 1 of the latch to lift lts hook end outofthe' sockets in the rod Z .f

When. the parts are at the arm L is at a central position, latch Y,

and the pressure. of thesprings arm L is equalized, ringto Fig. 1 thatthe arm.1 L now tively holds the geargD' t0 '-the low, ornormalposition. Now to shift from the the lever rod J is man; uallypulled'in the direction "of the arrow .7 on Fig. 1, which compresses thespring K atthatside and therebystoresup or inposi- ,creases the, forceagainst that side of the.

armw L' -:o'rr espon dinglyagainst the gear D. "This extra forceismaintained until fthe cam S engages the latch and trips it, and sincethe tension of the, opposite spring K has beendecreased from the norma1, it follows that the increased'force of the cont-rolled spring .K willnowslide the arm L and with the gear D until the said gear moves intomesh with the eccentric gear B, it being temporarily held from furtherforward lateral. movement by engaging the adjacent face of theconcentric speed gear B when the said surplus force further shifts gearD in mesh I hausts the said surplus oraccumulatedforce, and leaves thepressure of springs K K at the 'opposite sides of the for holding thegear touts second speed to operate at a.- time. Now assum ng themechanism to be with the of mesh with the gears B, B,

initialfonf. low

the lever is locked by the which then engages the central until the gearI) comes into aline ment with the teeth of the said gear B with gear B,which ex gear D balanced,

position. v To bring the gear D to the third speed the same lever;movement before explained is made,

and the now increased force of'the spring K before compressed, as soonas the trip latch is released, first moves the gear D throu h theeccentric gear B and then into mesh with the gear B, it being clearfromthe drawings that to run down from third tolow speed, the levermovement is in the direction of the dotted arrow, and the accumulatedforce is stored upby compressr ing the other spring Kl By reason of thearrangement and .con-' st-ruction of the parts referred to, springs Kare first compressed and'then released, which moves thelgear D in adirection parallel to the driving shaft rfom one concentric gear toanother, the said gear. D remaining in.

mesh with the eccentric: gears only during the period of changing speed.i

When the gear D is held completely out B B and B, that is, when it is=inits extreme position at the right, see Fig. 2, it takes the position inline with a supplemental when in this position, by means of a lever 25,attached to the frame, the gearD and gear 0, and

shaft M are pulled toward the shaft-N to bring the gear I) into meshwitl1.gear- Si'nce'the said gear is a wide face gearand iniInesh, withthe gear'B the movements of the shafts 1W and R are reversed with-Erethe gear D is. in mesh with B, B, B B and B What I claim is 1. In atransmission gearing; a driving shaft and a driven shaft, gearconnections between the same, said connections including a shiftablegear, means for locking the said gear to its shifted position, means forfirst applying force to one side of the said gear to tend to shift thesame and for releasing the said gear to permit the said force to act.e2. In, a transmission gearing, a driving shaft and a driven shaft powertransmitting connections, including a shiftable gear carrying member,between the said shafts,

the gear series a spring engaging one side of the said mem-' ber, aholding device for retaining the said gear carrying member in itsrespective pospectto the motion imparted .to them when sitions, and ameans for first putting the said spring under tension and then releasingthe said holding device to permit the saidispring toshift the saidshift-able gear carrying member.

:3. A power transmission mechanism comprising a driving shaft and adriven shaft, power transmitting connections between the" said shafts,the said connections including'a shiftable element, means for lockingthe said shiftable element in its positions,

means for applying potential energy to the said shiftable element totend to shift the same, and other means for releasing the" saidshift-able 'element locking means to permit the said element to move.

4:. In ameans for transmitting motion, a driving shaft, concentric gearsand concentric disks thereon, eccentric gears interposed between theconcentric gears, eccentric disks.-

on the shaft interposed between the concentric disks, and in reverseorder to the ar- -rangement .of the concentric and eccentric gears asliding being adapted ,and eccentric gears on said driving shaft,

and a means for holding the said shiftable gear up and in engagementwith the said driving shaft gears, said means including an arm mountedon the shiftable gear shaft and having a. portion for engaging theperipheral edge of the concentricand eccentric disks, said disks havinga diameter sufficient to cause said concentric and eccentric gears tomesh with said sliding gear.

'5. In means for transmitting motion, the

' combination of a driving shaft, and a secshaft in mesh with theconcentric and eccentric gears on the driving shaft above mentioned, a.yoke slidable on said second shaft and collared to the said-slidinggear with which it slides in unison.

' 6. In a means for transmitting motion, a driving shaft, acountershaft, a changeable speed gearing connection between saidcounteri-shaft and said driving shaft-which connect-ion consists ofalternately arranged eccentric and concentric gears mounted on saiddriving shaft, and a sliding concentric gear mounted on and laterallyslidable on said countershaft to successively engage said driving shaftgears, means separate .from said countershaft for locking said shiftablegearin its shifted positions, and means for first applying. a shiftingforce to shiftsaid shiftable gearand subsequently unlock said shiftablegear to permit saidshiftable force to act.

7. In -a means for transmitting motion, the combination of a drivingshaft, a driven shaft, and an interposed countershaft, a

1 clutchand gear connection between said driving shaft and said drivenshaft, a clutch andgear connection'between said countershaft,

gear,'a shaft on which said sliding gear 1s mounted, said sliding gearto mesh with the concentric" and said driven shaft, means foralternately operatively connecting and disconnectmg the respectiveclutches of said clutch and gear connections, and a changeable speedgearing connection between said-driving shaft and said countershaft,said changeable speed I gearing connection including a plurality ofeccentric and concentric gears alternately arranged on said drivingshaftQand a shift- "able gear concentrically mounted on saidcountershaftto successively mesh with said driving shaft gears, saidcounter shaft being bodily movable toward and from said drive ing shaftand said clutch and gear connections between said counterrshaft andsaiddriven shaft being bodily movable with said counter shaft and along saiddrivenshaft';

8. In a meansfor transmitting'motion, the

combination ofa driving shaft, a driven shaft, and an interposedcountershaft, a

clutch and gear connection between said driving shaft and said drivenshaft, a clutch and gear connection between said countershaft and saiddriven shaft, means for alternately operatively connecting and disconnecting the respective clutches of said clutch and gear connections, anda changeable speed gearing connection between said driving shaft andsaid countershaft, said changeable speed gearing connection including aplurality of eccentric and concentric gears alternately arranged on saiddriving shaft, and a shiftable gear concentrically mounted on saidcountershaft to successively. mesh with said driving shaft gears, meansfor holding said shiftable gear in mesh with said driving shaftgearsprneans for locking said shiftable gear in mesh with a'drivingshaft gear, and other means for first unlocking-said shiftable gear andthen shift- -ing it into engagement with another'of said driving shaftgears, said counter shaft being bodily movable toward and'from saiddriving shaft and said clutch and gear connections between said countershaft and said driven shaft,being bodily movable with said counter shaftand along said driven shaft;

",9. In a, means for transmitting motion, the combination of a drlvlngshaft, a driven shaft, a changeable speed gearing connectionbetwe'en'said shafts and consisting of a number of eccentric andconcentric gears alternately arranged on one of said shafts,

and a concentric shiftable gear on the other.

of said shafts, and areversing pinion in constant mesh with one of saidfirst-mentioned concentric gears, and means for shifting said shiftablegear wholly out of mesh with said change speed gearing and other meansfor shifting said shifting gear into with said reversing pinion.

10. In a transmission gearing, a drive shaft and a driven shaft, changespeed gearing between said shafts including a set mesh of relativelyfixed gears and a'sh1ftable gear, a reversing pinion continuously inmesh with one of said relatively fixed gears,

said sh'iftable gear and its shifting mechanism bodily to bring saidshiftable gear into mesh with said reversing pinion.

11. In a transmission gearing, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, directgear connections between said driving and driven shafts including aclutch device for rendering said,

4 connections operative or inoperative, a countershaft, direct gearconnections between said countershaft and said driven shaft including aclutch device forrendering said last named gear connections operative orinoperative, a single clutch shifting mechanism for simultaneouslyshifting both clutches in opposite directions, a changeable speedgearing connecting said driving and'driven shafts, and including aplurality of alternately arranged eccentric and concentric" gears on oneof said shafts, and a shiftable gear on the other shaft for meshingwithsaid eccentric and concentric gears, and means for shifting saidshiftable gear mechanism into mesh with different ones ofsaid eccentricand concentric gears to change the speed of operation of saidcountershaft, said counter shaft being bodily movable toward andfrom'said driving shaft and said clutch and gear con-..

nections between said counter shaft and said driven shaft being movablewith said counter shaftand along said driven shaft.

12. In a transmission gearing, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, directgear connections between said driving and driven shafts including aclutch, device for rendering said connections operative or inoperative,a countershaft, direct gear connections between said countershaft andsaid driven shaft including a clutch device for rendering said lastnamed gear connections operative or inoperative, a singleclutch-shifting mechanism for simultaneously shifting both clutches inopposite directions, a changeable speed gearing connecting said drivingand driven shafts, and including a plurality of a alternately arrangedeccentric and concentric gears on one of said shafts, and a shiftablegear on the othershaft for meshing with said eccentric and concentricgears, means for "shiftingsaid shiftable gear mechanism into mesh withdifferent ones ofthe eccentric and concentric gears to change the speedof operation of said countershaft, a reversing pinion 1n mesh with oneof said concentric gears, said shiftable gear shifting mechanism adaptedto shift said shiftable gear into alinement with said reversing pinion,but not into contact therewith, and other meansfor moving said shiftablegear bodily into mesh with said reversing pinion, said counter shaftbeing bodily movable toward and from said driving shaft and said clutchand gear connections between said counter shaft and said driven shaftbeing movable with said counter shaft and-along said driven shaft.

13. In a power transmitting mechanism, a driving shaftand a second shaftdriven therefrom, a plurality of successively arranged gears on saiddriving shaft, a single gear on said second shaft tomesh successivelywith all of said gears on said driving shaft and a mechanism forshifting said single gear in planes parallel to itself, which shiftingmechanism includes a shiftingarm engaging said shiftable gear, a latchfor latching said arm to hold said shiftable gear immovable and a powerapplying and latch releasing device for first applying a gear shiftingforce, and upon further movementreleasing said latch to permit saidforce to act.

.14. As agear shifting mechanism, the combination with the bodilyshiftable gear, of a shifting arm engaging said gear, a latch forlatching said arm in different shifted positions and a deviceengagingsaid arm and operating at the beginning of its movement to -apply ashifting force to said arm, and upon fgrther movement, release saidlatch'to permit said force to act.

HARRY BEAUREGARD ROSS. Witnesses:

JULIUs NIooLAUs, MABEL Vnzm.

